TffE POULTRY TAnD. 903 



Ponltry Keeping for ProUt. — During the year 18S4, Mr. Henry Stewart 

 contributed to the Xew York Times a series of articles containing many 

 valuable suggestions for those who wish to make poultry-keeping a busi- 

 ness. His plan is briefly as follows: Each yard is to consist of a plot of 

 ground about 100s400 feet, containing nearly one acre, with a suitable 

 fence. The house is placed in the center of the yard and a cross-fence on a 

 line with the house divides it into two parts. These two parts are alter- 

 nately sown thickly with some crop that will afford forage for the fowls. In 

 September they are placed on one side sown thickly with tumipe. The 

 other is immediately plowed up and sown with rye. The fowls will do very 

 well for the winter in one side, with an occasional day in the green rye. In 

 November wheat is sown, after the turnips are eaten off. In April we may 

 sow oats, in May com, in June rape or mustard seed and in July begin the 

 rotation again with rutabagas. 



As a rule a house twenty-five feet long, ten feet wide, eight feet high ia 

 the front and five feet in the rear, will be quite large enough for the one 

 hundred fowls to be kept in each yard. This should be cleaned at least 

 once a week, the oftener the better. The inside walls are quite smooth, hav- 

 ing no fixtures except the roosting poles, which are on a level one foot from 

 the ground. This leaves no harbor for vermin. The nests are loose boxes. 

 Mr. Stewart also suggests that where a series of yards are kept, the inside 

 fences may be movable, so that while the fowls are all confined to one side, 

 the fences may be removed firom the other, thus facilitatLog the plowing and 

 planting. 



" It is evident," he adds, " that this system will greatly enrich the soil, 

 and this may be turned to good account by raising fruit trees in the poultry 

 yards. No other fruit crop pays so well as plums, but none is so hard to 

 grow on account of the pestiferous curcuUo. But when plums are grown in 

 a poultry, yard this insect has no chance. Tlie sharp eyes of the fowls let no 

 rogue escape, and one can raise plums with success and profit. As 200 of 

 these trees can be planted on one acre, there is a possibilitj* of 1400 per acre 

 from the fruit as well as $200 from the fowls; for every hen well cared for 

 should make a clear profit of two dollars in the year. The yards may be 

 planted with dwarf pear trees, with equal profit or more, because 300 of them 

 may be placed on one acre. The shade of these trees ia invaluable." It is 

 also recommended that a row or small grove of Norway Spruce, Arbor-vitse 

 or Austrian pine be planted each side of the hotise to serve as a wind break 

 for the fowls in winter. 



RaUin^ Chickens by Artificial Mothers. — Mr. E. S. Renwick writes 

 from a large experience upon the above subject, u^the American Agricul- 

 turist. He says: ^V 



^Tien a fancier raises forty or fifty chickens a year, as amtisement, the 

 amount of care which he gives them is never taken into account; but if the 

 number of chickens be increased to several hundreds, some means must be 

 provided by which so large a number can be taken care of without too much 

 labor. For supph-ing warmth and protection to young chickens, various 

 " artificial mothers," or " bi-ooders," have been devised. Those in the mar- 

 ket are well enough adapted to the raising of a small number of chickens of 

 nearly the same age, but it becomes a difficult matter when from two hun- 

 dred and fifty to five hundred are to be raised, and of all ages, from those 

 just hatched to those large enough for broilers. Yoting chickens must have 

 plenty of air, exercise and wholesome green food; and means of protection 



